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noun

millennial

mih-LEHN-ih-uhl

Millennial (noun) means a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000. Example: “Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet.”

noun
1
A person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000.
"Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet."
adj
1
Relating to a period of a thousand years, or to the year 2000 specifically.
"The millennial celebrations lit up cities around the world."

How to use millennial

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly today, a member of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s; less commonly, something relating to a thousand-year span.

Common pairings
millennial generation typical millennial

Word forms

millennials plural

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_____ grew up alongside the rise of the internet.

Etymology

The generational sense was coined in 1991 by American authors William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book Generations; the older adjective sense comes from Latin mīllennium plus the suffix -al.

Origin: Latin · First attested 1991

Class of 1991 millennial joined the language around 1991.
See the full Class of 1991 →
millennian

Rhymes for millennial

See all rhymes for millennial →

Frequently asked questions

What does “millennial” mean?

The word “millennial” means a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000. In plain terms, most commonly today, a member of the generation born in the 1980s and 1990s; less commonly, something relating to a thousand-year span.

How do you pronounce “millennial”?

“Millennial” is pronounced mih-LEHN-ih-uhl (/məˈlɛn.i.əl/ in IPA).

How do you use “millennial” in a sentence?

Here is “millennial” used in a sentence: “Millennials grew up alongside the rise of the internet.”

What part of speech is “millennial”?

Depending on how it is used, “millennial” can be a noun and an adjective.

Where does the word “millennial” come from?

The word “millennial” dates back to around 1991 and comes from Latin. The generational sense was coined in 1991 by American authors William Strauss and Neil Howe in their book Generations; the older adjective sense comes from Latin mīllennium plus the suffix -al.

How many meanings does “millennial” have?

“Millennial” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person born roughly between the early 1980s and mid-1990s, who came of age around the year 2000.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial